Sante Fe National Historic Trail, Raton, New Mexico

The Santa Fe National Historic Trail runs from Lincoln, Missouri, through Kansas into New Mexico, ending in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It linked routes originally followed by American Indians and Frontiersmen, developing into the most important trade conduit in the United States. The trail played a critical role in the westward expansion of the United States as well as trade relations with Mexico. We first visited the NRA Whittington Center back on August 5, 2018. We just visited again this year, so I have taken the blog from 2018 and incorporated it into this post.

The Cimarron Cutoff followed a water-less short-cut in Kansas which ran along the Cimarron River ultimately passing east of this community and joining the trail in Fort Union or La Junta. The Santa Fe Railroad completed its line through Raton Pass in 1878, and by 1880 freighting along the Santa Fe Trail was no longer economical.

Mexico's independence from Spain in 1821 removed trade barriers that opened the southwest to trade with the United States. In 1822 William Becknell pioneered the Cimarron portion of the Santa Fe Trail. The mountain branch over Raton Pass was opened in the 1840's. The Mountain Branch crosses through the NRA Whittington Center. 

Santa Fe remained the western terminus of the trail throughout its history.  The eastern terminus originally was Franklin, Missouri. As railroad construction continued, the eastern terminus moved west. On February 9, 1880, the first steam engine arrived in Santa Fe ending 60 years of overland use of the Santa Fe Trail.

Charlton Heston posed as the "Scout" providing everlasting vigilance over the Santa Fe Trail and sacrifices made along the way. 

Intrepid entrepreneurs like William Becknell, Father of the Santa Fe Trail, brought trade goods from the east to the region and with the wagon trains came hunters, explorers, and mountain men such as Jedediah Smith, Kit Carson, and Manuel Lisa. Armed with full and half-stocked rifles made in St. Louis by the Hawken Brothers, most of these explorers continued to rely on the tried and true arms of ignition of flint and steel. With the increased availability of trade goods, percussion cap systems firearms began to come into their own.

The Old Spanish Trail (Santa Fe to Los Angeles) when linked to the Santa Fe Trail (Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico) offered the cross continental settler 2,000 miles of unguarded and unsecured territory open to attacks and raids of natives at any time. Firearms were not only essential for hunting and sustenance, but they became an integral item for self-defense. Texas claimed the territory when it won its independence from Mexico in 1836, but it was unable to exert much control. In 1846 US General Stephen Kearney arrived in New Mexico and established it as a territory of the United States at the end of the Mexican-American war in 1848. As a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo which ended the war with Mexico, most of New Mexico was ceded to the United States and formally became a territory on September 9, 1850.

The historic American cowboy arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico. Traditionally cowboys performed a multitude of ranch related tasks including tending horses, working cattle, mending fences and driving herds to market or the rail yards. With the end of the American Civil War in 1865, many veterans from both armies migrated West to escape the memories of war and in hopes of finding better economic opportunities. The early cowboys came from all walks of life, races and nationalities. As the western migration of settlers increased so did the size of grazing lands and the need of more cowboys. The tradition of the American cowboy is alive and well today in the American southwest. 

Firearms were an essential part of any travelers' outfit. Many types were seen along the trail: the family shotgun; muzzleloading rifles and repeating carbines of Civil War veterans; long range, big bore, single shot rifles used by buffalo hunters; and many types of handguns. The most popular firearms were Colt and Greener shotguns, Sharps rifles, Henry and Winchester repeating carbines, and Colt and Remington cap and ball pistols.

Unlike the emigrant trails that took travelers west to Utah, Oregon, and California (Scotts Bluff NM and Chimney Rock NHS), the Santa Fe Trail mainly handled commercial traffic moving east to west. When New Mexico became a territory of the United States in 1850 after the Mexican-American War, trade barriers were removed and traffic increased.

A variety of travelers headed west -- traders seeking a change in fortune, Civil War veterans looking for a new start on life, and gold seekers heading for California. As with the travelers' oxen, wagon, supplies, and trade goods, firearms were a necessary item for the arduous journey.

The Santa Fe Trail linked a system of international trading routes. Goods heading east were transported on rivers and canals to reach the ports of New York City and New Orleans. El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro connected Santa Fe to Chihuahua, Mexico, and sites farther south.

Freight wagon and "Pup" trailer wagon

Wagon trains loaded with trade goods took from six weeks to two and one-half months to make the trip. During its 60 year history the 900 mile long Santa Fe Trail played a key role in America's westward expansion. It has been considered by many to be America's first super highway. In 1821 Mexico gained its freedom from Spain and Mexico was open for trade. 

William Becknell (with a small group of men) wasted no time in leaving Franklin, Missouri and headed to Santa Fe. They were enthusiastically welcomed and encouraged to return soon with more goods to trade. Th rest is history. 

During its history, many types of wagons were used to move goods and immigrants west. Large, heavy freight and Conestoga wagons could haul as much as 6,000 pounds of goods or belongings in one wagon. These types of wagons found it difficult to come through the Raton Pass and stayed mostly on the Cimarron Route. Smaller covered wagons (commonly referred to as immigrant's wagons) were beefed-up farm wagons that could if packed correctly, move a family of four to the western promised land.

The Santa Fe Trail also saw its share of military traffic especially during the Mexican-American War of 1846 and the American Civil War. By 1860, a total of 16,439,000 pounds is said to have carried, 9,084 men employed, and 6,147 mules, 27,920 oxen, and 3,033 wagons were used. In the latter years of the trail it was used by stage coach lines and the Pony Express. In 1880, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad reached Lamy station south of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Trail era was at an end.